Friday, March 20, 2020

The effects of making employee salaries public

The effects of making employee salaries public We’re living in a rapidly evolving world where almost everything is done online and the very notion of privacy seems to be evaporating. Most of us are growing increasingly more comfortable having our lives made public through a variety of social networks. This new open and public approach to sharing information is affecting companies as well. How so? Many companies are embracing the notion of complete public transparency and disclosure in ways they never have before. Everything is potentially on the table for being made public, including employee salaries- something that up until recently has long been held in the strictest of confidence. Let’s dig deeper into this concept of employee pay transparency, and how it’s affecting the status quo.The idea behind making employee salaries public is an arguably noble one- more and more companies are seeking to embrace the philosophy that being open and honest with their employees about all things is an effective way to for ge more progressive, sincere, and honest employee/employer relationships. It can also help address some unfortunate inequities in compensation that women and minority groups sometimes face, an issue that gets inadequate attention, especially when salary information is kept hidden.The Wall Street Journal published an article on the good, the bad, and the downright awkward aspects of companies adopting an open salary policy. According to the article, â€Å"The idea of open pay is to get pay and performance problems out on the table for discussion, eliminate salary inequalities, and spark better performance†¦ But open pay also is sparking some awkward conversations between co-workers comparing their paychecks, and puncturing egos among those whose salaries don’t sync with their self-image.†The truth is, as employees we can make a direct correlation between our pay and how our employers perceive and value our contributions, so having this information helps take the gu esswork out of knowing where we stand- both as individuals and in comparison with our colleagues.So, despite its good intentions, when salaries are revealed employers can count on seeing a potentially disruptive effect- while those employees who are at the top of the pay scale will likely be grateful and appreciative (unless they feel that they’re still not being paid enough compared to their coworkers), those at the bottom of the salary food chain can count on being unhappy and confronting their bosses to help remedy the situation. Then, if balance regarding compensation is not reached, it will likely lead to some employees seeking better opportunities elsewhere. Making salary information public can also lead to potential awkwardness and strife among colleagues who sit at opposite ends of the compensation spectrum, which can adversely affect productivity and motivation.It seems clear that although there are some truly good potential reasons for publicly disclosing salary inf ormation, there are some significant potential pitfalls that employers should be on the lookout for when making the decision to do so. Progressive employers who react quickly and decisively to address issues regarding pay inequity will be in the best position to quell any potential disruptions, while those who are slow or late to respond may create some tension among their staff or lose some valuable talent to competitors who are willing to pay your employees what they feel they deserve.Perhaps the best approach for handling the issue of whether or not to publicly disclose salary information is to plan carefully- and proceed with caution.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

How to Solve a Redox Reaction Problem

How to Solve a Redox Reaction Problem This is a worked example redox reaction problem showing how to calculate volume and concentration of reactants and products using a balanced redox equation. Key Takeaways: Redox Reaction Chemistry Problem A redox reaction is a chemical reaction in which reduction and oxidation occur.The first step in solving any redox reaction is to balance the redox equation. This is a chemical equation that must be balanced for charge as well as mass.Once the redox equation is balanced, use the mole ratio to find the concentration or volume of any reactant or product, provided the volume and concentration of any other reactant or product is known. Quick Redox Review A redox reaction is a type of chemical reaction in which reduction and oxidation occur. Because electrons are transferred between chemical species, ions form. So, to balance a redox reaction requires not only balancing mass (number and type of atoms on each side of the equation), but also charge. In other words, the number of positive and negative electrical charges on both sides of the reaction arrow are the same in a balanced equation. Once the equation is balanced, the mole ratio may be used to determine the volume or concentration of any reactant or product as long as the volume and concentration of any species is known. Redox Reaction Problem Given the following balanced redox equation for the reaction between MnO4- and Fe2 in an acidic solution: MnO4-(aq) 5 Fe2(aq) 8 H(aq) → Mn2(aq) 5 Fe3(aq) 4 H2O Calculate the volume of 0.100 M KMnO4 needed to react with 25.0 cm3 0.100 M Fe2 and the concentration of Fe2 in a solution if you know that 20.0 cm3 of solution reacts with 18.0 cm3 of 0.100 KMnO4. How to Solve Since the redox equation is balanced, 1 mol of MnO4- reacts with 5 mol of Fe2. Using this, we can obtain the number of moles of Fe2: moles Fe2 0.100 mol/L x 0.0250 L moles Fe2 2.50 x 10-3 mol Using this value: moles MnO4- 2.50 x 10-3 mol Fe2 x (1 mol MnO4-/ 5 mol Fe2) moles MnO4- 5.00 x 10-4 mol MnO4- volume of 0.100 M KMnO4 (5.00 x 10-4 mol) / (1.00 x 10-1 mol/L) volume of 0.100 M KMnO4 5.00 x 10-3 L 5.00 cm3 To obtain the concentration of Fe2 asked in the second part of this question, the problem is worked the same way except solving for the unknown iron ion concentration: moles MnO4- 0.100 mol/L x 0.180 L moles MnO4- 1.80 x 10-3 mol moles Fe2 (1.80 x 10-3 mol MnO4-) x (5 mol Fe2 / 1 mol MnO4) moles Fe2 9.00 x 10-3 mol Fe2 concentration Fe2 (9.00 x 10-3 mol Fe2) / (2.00 x 10-2 L) concentration Fe2 0.450 M Tips for Success When solving this type of problem, its important to check your work: Check to make certain the ionic equation is balanced. Make certain the number and type of atoms is the same on both sides of the equation. Make certain the net electrical charge is the same on both sides of the reaction.Be careful to work with the mole ratio between reactants and products and not the gram quantities. You may be asked to provide a final answer in grams. If so, work the problem using moles and then use the molecular mass of the species to convert between units. The molecular mass is the sum of the atomic weights of the elements in a compound. Multiply the atomic weights of atoms by any subscripts following their symbol. Dont multiply by the coefficient in front of the compound in the equation because youve already taken that into account by this point!Be careful to report moles, grams, concentration, etc., using the correct number of significant figures. Sources Schà ¼ring, J., Schulz, H. D., Fischer, W. R., Bà ¶ttcher, J., Duijnisveld, W. H., eds (1999). Redox: Fundamentals, Processes and Applications. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg ISBN 978-3-540-66528-1.Tratnyek, Paul G.; Grundl, Timothy J.; Haderlein, Stefan B., eds. (2011). Aquatic Redox Chemistry. ACS Symposium Series. 1071. ISBN 9780841226524.